Object verification system and method
AssigneeRand McNally & Company
InventorRobert A. Copella
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Appartus and methods of verifying objects utilize detectable characteristics of a plurality of spaced apart, magnetizable magnetic security regions affixed to the object. Magnetic characteristics for each magnetic region are detected from two different orientations. A verification apparatus senses the magnetic characteristics from two different orientations and compares it to a prestored representative profile previously created. Correspondence between the prestored profile and the currently read characteristics indicates an authentic object. Other objects can be rejected.
Claims65
A method of verifying the authenticity of an object which has a plurality of spaced substantially identically shaped security regions of magnetic material thereon with the magnetic regions each having a measurable unique randomly variable characteristic and each including first and second non-parallel edges displaced from one another, the method comprising:
- generating an electrical signal associated with respective ones of the first edges and indicative of the unique characteristic sensed from a first orientation of each of respective ones of the regions;
- generating an electrical signal associated with respective of the second edges and indicative of the unique characteristic sensed from a second orientation of each of respective ones of the regions;
- processing the electrical signals so as to form a representation of selected of the characteristics;
- retrieving a prestored representation of a set of previously generated electrical signals associated with unique characteristics of at least some of the regions;
- comparing the formed representation of the characteristics to the retrieved prestored representation;
- and
- indicating the result of the comparison.
An apparatus for verifying the authenticity of an object which carries a plurality of spaced substantially identically shaped magnetic security regions thereon with each region having a measurable unique, randomly variable characteristic and with selected of the regions having at least first and second non-parallel edges selectively oriented with respect to one another, the apparatus comprising:
- means for detecting and generating first and second electrical signals in response to first and second selectively oriented edges of at least some of the spaced magnetic security regions with each said pair of electrical signals corresponding to a representation of the unique characteristic of the respective region;
- means for retrieving a prestored, composite representation of the unique magnetic characteristics of at least some of the regions associated with the object;
- means for forming an object identifying characteristic from at least one of said electrical signals;
- and
- means for comparing said formed characteristic of the magnetic regions to said retrieved prestored representation and for indicating a result of the comparison.
A method of making a verifiable object comprising:
- providing a base portion;
- providing a plurality of spaced apart, substantially identically shaped regions of magnetic material on the base portion with each region having a measurable unique, randomly variable characteristic and with selected of the regions having at least first and second non-parallel edges selectively oriented with respect to one another;
- detecting first and second magnetic characteristics from first and second different orientations with respect to each of at least two spaced apart regions;
- forming a unique representation of the detected characteristics;
- and
- storing the unique representation for later reference.
A method of making a verifiable object comprising:
- providing a base portion;
- providing a plurality of spaced apart, substantially identically shaped regions of magnetic material on the base portion with each region having measurable unique, randomly variable characteristic;
- detecting first and second magnetic characteristics from first and second non-parallel orientations of each of at least two selected, spaced apart regions;
- forming a unique representation of the detected characteristics;
- and
- storing the unique representation for later reference.
A verifiable object comprising:
- a base portion;
- and
- a plurality of spaced apart, substantially identically shaped regions of magnetic material on said base portion, said regions each including a unique, random magnetic characteristic detectable from, two non-parallel orientations with a preformed representation of said characteristics carried on said object.
A verifiable object comprising:
- a base portion;
- and
- a plurality of spaced apart, diamond shaped regions of magnetic material on said base portion, said regions each including a magnetic characteristic detectable from two different orientations with a preformed representation of said characteristics carried on said object
- with each said orientation corresponding to a respective selected first and second edge of one of said diamond shaped magnetic regions.
A method of verifying the authenticity of an object carrying a plurality of spaced apart, magnetic security regions with each region having a measurable unique, randomly variable characteristic comprising:
- passing the magnetic regions through an essentially constant magnetic field;
- sensing, from two non-parallel orientations, a magnetic characteristic of each member of the plurality;
- selecting a predetermined set of values corresponding to sensed magnetic characteristics from various members of the plurality;
- forming a representative profile based on the set of values;
- and
- storing the representative profile for later use.
A validator apparatus, usable to verify the authenticity of a selected object, carrying a plurality of spaced apart magnetic security regions with each region having a measurable unique, randomly variable characteristic, the validator comprising:
- means for generating electrical signals proportional to first and second non-parallel oriented magnetic characteristics of each of the spaced apart regions;
- means for forming a composite profile based on at least part of one said electrical signals;
- means for retrieving a prestored composite profile based on one or more previously generated electrical signals;
- means for comparing the formed composite profile with the retrieved, prestored composite profile;
- and
- means for indicating the results of said comparison.
A method of forming a representative profile of an object carrying a plurality of spaced apart, substantially identically shaped magnetic security regions each having a unique, random magnetic characteristic detectable from first and second orientations, the method comprising:
- providing the magnetic regions;
- detecting the characteristics of each of the magnetic regions from two non-parallel orientations st least once;
- and
- collecting at least a first plurality of spaced apart peak values of selected of said detected magnetic characteristics.
An authenticated object comprising:
- a substrate;
- a plurality of spaced apart, substantially identically shaped magnetic regions on said substrate, each said region having first and second delineating portions with said first portion having a selected non-parallel orientation with respect to a respective said second portion, elated first and second electrical signals being generatable in response to detection thereof such that modification of said region will effect at least one of said signals;
- and
- a representation of at least part of one of said signals carried by said substrate.
An authenticatable object comprising:
- a substrate;
- and
- a plurality of spaced apart, substantially identically shaped magnetic security regions on said substrate, each said region having at least first and second delineating edges with said edges intersecting at an angle selected from a range between 35 degrees and 45 degrees with related first and second electrical signals being generatable in response to detection thereof such that modification of said region will effect at least one of said signals.
An apparatus for verifying the authenticity of an object with a base portion that carries a plurality of spaced-apart magnetic regions, each of the regions includes a unique, randomly variable magnetic characteristic detectable from two non-parallel orientations with a preformed magnetic characteristic identifier carried on the base portion, the apparatus comprising:
- first means for detecting the magnetic characteristic of each member of a selected group of regions carried on the same base portion from a first orientation and for generating a first electrical signal corresponding thereto;
- second means for detecting the magnetic characteristic of each member of a selected group of regions carried on the same base portion from a second orientation and for generating a second electrical signal corresponding thereto with said first and said second electrical signals each indicative of the same magnetic characteristic of the sample region;
- means for processing said first and said second electrical signals to generate a magnetic characteristic identifier based on relative peak values of said signals;
- means for sensing the preformed magnetic characteristic identifier carried on the base portion;
- and
- means for comparing said sensed, preformed characteristic identifier to said generated characteristic identifier.
A method of verifying the authenticity of an object which has a plurality of spaced apart security regions of magnetic material formed of randomly dispersed and randomly oriented magnetic particles thereon with each region having a unique, detectable magnetic characteristic resulting therefrom and with each region containing at least two substantially similar surfaces of incidence displaced from one another at a predetermined angle, the method comprising:
- generating an electrical signal associated with the magnetic characteristic as detected at the first surface of incidence of each of at least some of the regions;
- generating an electrical signal associated with the magnetic characteristic as detected at the second surface of incidence of each of at least some of the regions;
- processing relative peak values of the electrical signals so as to form a representation of the detected magnetic characteristic based on selected slope directions.
An apparatus for verifying the authenicity of an object which has a plurality of spaced apart substantially identically shaped security regions thereon, each security region formed of a plurality of randomly oriented magnetic particles and with each security region having a unique, detectable magnetic characteristic resulting therefrom, each region having first and second substantially similar detection edges oriented at a selected angle with respect to one another, the apparatus comprising:
- means for generating a first electrical signal representative of the magnetic characteristic of one or more of the regions sensed with respect to the first detection edge of each respective region;
- means for generating a second electrical signal representative of the magnetic characteristic of the one or more regions sensed with respect to the second detection edge of each region;
- and
- means for processing relative peak amplitudes of said first and said second electrical signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.